STELLA English was “on cloud nine” after being crowned Lord Sugar’s new Apprentice – and said she had been driven to win for the sake of her children.

STELLA English was “on cloud nine” after being crowned Lord Sugar’s new Apprentice – and said she had been driven to win for the sake of her children.

The 31-year-old banker beat Chris Bates, 24, to the job of working for Lord Sugar after 12 weeks of tasks.

After finally learning the news on last night’s final on BBC1’s The Apprentice, the mother-of-two said: “It’s still a lot to take in. I’m on cloud nine and my feet haven’t touched the ground yet.”

“There were times I felt very tired and it was much harder than I ever thought it would be. But in terms of quitting, there was absolutely no way.”

London-based English emerged triumphant after a final in which previous contestants returned to help the remaining two create, market and sell an alcoholic drink.

Bates, from Surrey, came up with a pomegranate-infused concoction called Prism, while English created Urbon, marketed as a new take on classic drink Bourbon.

English will work for Lord Sugar’s company Viglen, which provides IT services, largely for the education sector.

English, who left school with no qualifications but grafted her way to a job at a Japanese investment bank, said she hoped her win would inspire others to realise they could achieve what they set out to.

“My great-aunt Stella said if you want something, go and get it yourself,” she said.

“I want people to look at me as an example and think ‘I can do this’.”

She also praised runner-up Bates as a “very bright guy”, adding: “He was a great candidate and there were times I thought he might pull it out the bag.”

Bates said he had “mixed emotions” not to have won, but looked back on the process “with a great deal of pride”.

“Stella brought so many skills to the table, she’s very experienced and is a great manager of people,” he said. “She’s performed consistently and has been good since the beginning.”

Both finalists had been working within Lord Sugar’s empire ahead of the boss’s verdict. Asked what he wanted to do next, Bates said: “My door is open to a variety of options at this stage.”